A clever traveler arriving in Dubrovnik would be wise to commence their explorations with a leisurely stroll. A well-conducted walking tour provides an invaluable opportunity to decipher the city’s intricate layout and identify those locales that most tantalizingly beckon further investigation. Choose from any number of private or group tours or embark on a self-guided Dubrovnik Old Town walking tour, utilizing this modest itinerary as a compass.
Don’t miss out on this! This article is featured on GPSmyCity. To download this article for offline reading or create a self-guided walking tour to visit the attractions highlighted in this article, go to Walking Tours and Articles in Dubrovnik.
If you don’t want things to be quite as simple, I’ve provided an alternate way to aid your navigation and to ensure you do not miss a single enchanting detail: a convenient link to Google Maps is provided for each captivating stop. For those who wish to survey the entirety of this delightful itinerary before setting forth, here’s the full map.
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Where to Start
Here’s more information about how to get to Dubrovnik, getting around Dubrovnik, where to stay, where to eat, and more information about what to expect.
I’d recommend making it a priority to explore the Walls of Dubrovnik first thing in the morning. This Old Town walking tour is also best done first thing in the morning but depending on your schedule, you could do it whenever you first arrive in Dubrovnik, you could do it after walking the walls, or you could do it another morning.
So head to Pile Gate to start your tour. If you’re coming from outside of Old Town, you’ll enter through this gate, and if you’re already in Old Town, go ahead and take a gander at the outside too.
Old Town Walking Tour
Dubrovnik’s weathered walls, scarred by time and conflict, enclose a labyrinthine maze of cobblestone alleyways, not suitable for your morning jog. If you explore long enough, you’ll stumble upon the grand Stradum, the magnificent Rector’s Palace, the serene Franciscan Monastery, the majestic Dubrovnik Cathedral, and the mysterious Lovrijenac Fortress.
And now, a quick history lesson: The Republic of Ragusa, a maritime republic centered on Dubrovnik, flourished as an aristocratic power from 1358 to 1808. Its greatest commercial success occurred during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, before its conquest by Napoleon led to its annexation by the Kingdom of Italy in 1808.
1. Pile Gate
All those who seek entry into the Old Town of Dubrovnik must first pass through Pile Gate, the main entrance located on the western side of the city walls. This forbidding structure, erected in the fourteenth century, once boasted a wooden drawbridge, raised each night to keep out the undesirables.
2. Stradun
Prior to the 13th century, the Stradun was merely marshland, isolating the city of Dubrovnik from the treacherous mainland. However, through a feat of engineering that must surely have taxed the ingenuity of the time, this soggy terrain was paved with gleaming white limestone and transformed into a majestic thoroughfare. The Stradun now serves as the beating heart of the Old Town.
A devastating earthquake followed by serious fire, nearly obliterated the city in 1667, leaving behind a landscape of ruin. From the ashes of this catastrophe, a new and unsettlingly uniform city began to rise. Each dwelling along the Stradun was meticulously constructed with a ground floor shop, each adorned with a sturdy door and an arched window. Above the shop were the living quarters and the top floor was reserved for the kitchen.
Though the upper floors have now been converted into apartments, the ground floor shops, with their eerily similar arched windows and doors, remain.
3. Onofrio’s Large Fountain
Just inside Pile Gate, a curious sight awaits: Onofrio’s Large Fountain. This peculiar structure, named for the ingenuity (or perhaps, the eccentricity) of its designer, Onofrio della Cava, was erected in 1438 to serve as a source of fresh water for the city.
This fountain boasts sixteen grotesque masks, each of which inexplicably discharges a continuous stream of water from its mouth. And astonishingly, the water emanating from these unsettling orifices is, in fact, potable.
4. Church of Saint Saviour
The small chapel opposite the fountain was erected in a misguided attempt to appease the capricious forces of nature following a terrifying earthquake in 1520. Remarkably, the Church of St. Saviour withstood the devastating earthquake of 1667, attributed to either divine intervention or a most fortunate stroke of luck. The church now stands as one of the few remaining examples of Renaissance architecture in the city.
5. Franciscan Church and Monastery
Those who find themselves drawn to this 14th-century complex will discover a pair of cloisters, a pharmacy, and a library overflowing with dusty tomes.
The lower cloister, designed in the Romanesque-Gothic style, boasts a staggering number of columns and pilasters, no doubt erected for the sole purpose of inducing vertigo.
The pharmacy, dating back to 1317, claims the distinction of being the third oldest operating pharmacy in the world, a fact that will likely be of little comfort to those seeking a remedy for their vertigo.
The library, a cavernous repository of despair, houses a seemingly endless collection of more than 20,000 books, along with valuable manuscripts and other artifacts.
Grotesque masks, leering from the sides of buildings throughout Dubrovnik, once served the purpose of channeling rainwater away from the city’s foundations. One particularly unsettling specimen, positioned precariously low to the ground at the Franciscan Monastery, is the subject of a curious local superstition. It is said that an individual who stands on this mask, maintains their balance, and then removes their shirt, will be rewarded with true love.
- Hungry? Make a quick stop at Buffet Škola for really, really good affordable sandwiches. This is my top recommendation for quick and affordable food in Dubrovnik.
6. Orlando’s Column
The next stop on our Dubrovnik Old Town walking tour is Orlando’s Column on Luza Square. The statue of Orlando, a knight clad in armor and wielding a sword, was erected in 1418, and thus has the distinction of being the oldest publicly displayed sculpture in the city.
Legend, a notoriously reliable source of information, claims that Orlando was a valiant Medieval knight who, in a most improbable turn of events, saved Dubrovnik from a band of fearsome pirates.
An equally exciting fact is that Orlando’s forearm measures a precise 51.2 centimeters. This, dear reader, was the official length of an “elbow,” a unit of measurement used for fabric and other goods.
- Hungry? If you ready for a full meal and need a break from your Dubrovnik Old Town walking tour, I won’t hesitate in recommending the nearby Bistro Tavulin or Restaurant Marco Polo.
7. Saint Blaise’s Church
The Baroque St. Blaise Church was erected in 1715 upon the unfortunate site of its predecessor which met an untimely demise during the calamitous earthquake of 1667.
Dedicated to the city’s patron saint, St. Blaise, the church stands majestically facing Luza, the main square of the Old Town. Look for a dazzling array of stained glass windows and a rather imposing statue of St. Blaise above the entrance, seemingly poised to deliver a stern lecture on the perils of misbehavior.
Each year, on the third of February, the city celebrates both the saint’s day and its own precarious existence.
8. Sponza Palace
Sponza Palace is an essential stop on any Dubrovnik Old Town walking tour. Erected in the sixteenth century, it is considerably old. This edifice boasts an architectural style that blends the austere Gothic with the more flamboyant Renaissance, a curious juxtaposition that is sure to pique the interest of even the most jaded observer.
Though perhaps most familiar to the modern eye as the interior of the Red Keep in the ‘”Game of Thrones” television series, Sponza Palace possesses a history far richer and more intriguing. Within its archives slumber documents of astonishing antiquity, dating back to 1022, whispering tales of a bygone era, when most of Dubrovnik is thought to have resembled Sponza Palace.
Sponza Palace was once the very heart of the Republic of Ragusa, a place of vibrant intellectual discourse. A literary academy even flourished here for a time. The customs office, the mint, the treasury, the armory – all found a home within these walls. In the seventeenth century, poets, philosophers, and other such individuals would gather here to exchange ideas, no doubt of a profound and unsettling nature.
Now a symbol of resilience, Sponza Palace emerged unscathed from the calamitous earthquake of 1667 that laid waste to much of the surrounding area.
The roof of Sponza Palace was not merely there for aesthetic purposes; it also served to collect rainwater for the city’s cisterns.
9. Clock Tower of Dubrovnik
The Clock Tower of Dubrovnik, erected in 1444, stands a preposterous one hundred feet tall. And atop this tower resides a colossal bronze bell cast in 1506 and weighing a preposterous two tons. The face of the clock not only displays the time, but also the ever-changing phases of the moon.
Every half hour, with an impressive regularity, two men emerge from the depths of the tower. Known as Maro and Baro, these discolored bronze men, armed with hammers, rhythmically strike the bell, causing a clangor that can be heard as far away as the Port of Gruz.
It should be noted that the tower was subjected to the indignity of reconstruction in 1929, courtesy of a series of repeated earthquakes, but the two ton bell is original.
10. Dominican Monastery
A structure of imposing scale, the Dominican Monastery was erected over the course of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. Initially located outside the city walls, it was subsequently relocated within the fortified perimeter for greater security.
Its grand staircase, ascends towards the church. Beyond the plywood purportedly resides a golden Crucifix above the main altar, also dating back to the fourteenth century.
The Dominican Monastery served a dual purpose during the tumultuous years of the Yugoslavian War, offering refuge to the citizens of Dubrovnik while simultaneously providing water from small well during a seven-month siege. The monastic complex now boasts a library and museum, repositories of countless treasures, including a remarkable collection of paintings, art, and jewelry.
- Hungry? Pop in to the incredibly popular Peppino’s Gelato Garden for a cup of gelato.
11. Ploče Gate
Ploče Gate bears an unsettling resemblance to Pile Gate, both boasting a pair of arches and a bridge of questionable stability (originally a wooden drawbridge).
The outer gate, erected in 1628, and the stone bridge, built in the fifteenth century, contribute to the overall air of foreboding.
For those unfortunate souls familiar with the ‘”Game of Thrones” television series, this is apparently the gate through which Cersei was forced to pass before being greeted by Qyburn after her walk of shame.
Do your walk of shame and then return to the Stradun and walk south, past the Clock Tower.
12. Monument of Marin Držić
The Monument of Marin Držić, a bronze statue of the celebrated Croatian playwright and poet, stands as a testament to his enduring legacy. Držić, a name whispered with reverence in Croatian literary circles, is often hailed as the “Shakespeare of Dubrovnik,” a comparison that, while perhaps hyperbolic, speaks to his profound influence on the nation’s linguistic and cultural landscape.
Read more about the Croatian language and learn a few key phrases.
This statue was sculpted by the equally celebrated Ivan Meštrović. And as with other Meštrović bronze sculptures, it is not uncommon to observe curious travelers, drawn to the monument by an inexplicable urge, rubbing the statue’s nose in an attempt to secure good fortune. Whether this peculiar ritual has any actual efficacy remains to be seen.
13. Rector’s Palace
From the fourteenth century until the dissolution of the Republic of Ragusa in 1808, the Rector’s Palace served as the residence of the Rector of Ragusa. Each Rector was elected to a term of precisely one month, and during this time, he was not permitted to leave the palace without the consent of the senate. One can only imagine the frustrations this arrangement caused.
The palace housed not only the seat of government but also the city’s armory, prison, and a disturbingly large supply of gunpowder.
Originally a Gothic structure designed by Onofrio della Cava (of Onofrio’s Large Fountain fame), it has endured a patchwork of Renaissance and Baroque inspired renovations after being repeatedly ravaged by earthquakes and a particularly catastrophic gunpowder explosion.
Today, the Rector’s Palace is home to the Cultural History Museum. Within its walls, visitors can wander through the restored chambers of the Rector, gaze upon coins and the faded coats of arms of a vanished republic, and ponder the tragic history of the Ragusa and its people.
14. The old port of Dubrovnik
The port was cunningly engineered in the fifteenth century and further fortified in the following century. Within its embrace, ships found sanctuary, shielded from the capricious whims of the sea and the unwelcome attentions of enemies. Note the building with three arches, which was once the Arsenal.
Follow along the outside of the city walls, keeping the walls on your right, and you will encounter Fort St. Ivana, a structure that now houses an aquarium and maritime museum. Continue to skirt along Fort St. Ivana to arrive at the diminutive Porporela Lighthouse. From this vantage point, one may observe the Adriatic Sea in all its shimmering grandeur, and the island of Lokrum in the distance. Should one be so inclined, a brief dip in the cool, potentially treacherous waters of the sea might be considered.
15. The Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary
The Cathedral of the Assumption is also known as Dubrovnik Cathedral. While its current form boasts a grand dome, the site has witnessed a succession of structures since the 7th century, each one a victim of time and misfortune.
Legend has it that the cathedral’s predecessor was a gift from English King Richard the Lionheart. After surviving a treacherous shipwreck near Lokrum Island in 1192, the grateful king vowed to construct a magnificent church in honor of his deliverance. That cathedral, however, met an untimely demise in the catastrophic earthquake of 1667.
The rebuilding process was a saga of setbacks and frustrations, lasting a full half-century and involving a parade of architects.
Though the interior of the current cathedral might strike one as somewhat stark, a momentary detour to see it during one’s walking tour of Old Town Dubrovnik would not be entirely without merit. Within, one may observe a profusion of altars decorated with paintings and an unconventional interpretation of the Stations of the Cross. However, the true treasure lies undoubtedly within the treasury, wherein resides a veritable cornucopia of ornate religious artifacts.
16. Gunduliceva Poljana Market
Mornings in Gunduliceva Poljana Market is home to peddlers hawking their wares. Tourists, drawn by the allure of souvenirs, wander the stalls, their eyes widening at the sight of Croatian lavender and the promise of fresh produce.
While you’re here, it is strongly advised that you procure some arancini, a jar of the local honey, and a selection of other regional delicacies and mementos to take home with you.
The statue in the center of this square commemorates the esteemed Croatian writer and prominent statesman of Dubrovnik, one Ivan Gundulic. His contributions to literature and civic life are said to have been significant.
Beware that at noon, the clang of the bell tower sends flocks of startled pigeons into a frenzied flight, and seemingly driven by an unseen force, they chaotically converge on Gundulic Square.
17. Serbian Orthodox Christian Church of the Holy Annunciation
As recently as the thirteenth century, individuals adhering to the Islamic or Orthodox Christian faiths were categorically barred from residing within the city walls. Stemming from that, there is a peculiar dearth of places of worship within the old town aside from the ubiquitous Catholic Churches.
Nestled on a small plot of land, the Orthodox Church of the Annunciation is a relative newcomer, having been erected in the late nineteenth century. Venture within, if you dare, to admire the colourful mosaics that adorn its interior. And should your curiosity not be sufficiently satiated, a museum houses a collection of Orthodox icons and art pieces.
Retrace your steps back to the market and turn right (south) on Ulica uz Jezuite. Walk to the end of the street to the grandiose staircase.
18. Jesuit Stairs
The next destination on your Dubrovnik Old Town walking tour is the Jesuit Stairs, which ascend towards the heavens with an air of unsettling grandeur. Each step, worn smooth by countless weary feet, whispers tales of forgotten triumphs and perhaps, just perhaps, a few concealed tragedies.
But the Jesuit Starts are perhaps better known to a certain demographic as the ‘Walk of Shame Staircase,’ a moniker bestowed upon them by admirers of a particularly grim and melodramatic television series.
19. Church of St. Ignatius
Completed in 1725, St. Ignatius is deemed the most captivating house of worship in all of Dubrovnik. Within its opulent walls, one encounters a curious grotto dedicated to the enigmatic Our Lady of Lourdes, a shrine to a deity whose allure remains a subject of much debate. Gilded Baroque flourishes adorn every surface, vying for attention with vibrant frescoes.
Adjacent to this architectural extravaganza resides the Jesuit College, cunningly designed to subtly underscore the ostentatious beauty of its neighbour.
- Hungry? One of my favourite restaurants in Dubrovnik is just across the courtyard. Kopun offers a taste of authentic Croatian cuisine in a beautiful setting. It is known for its delicious dishes, particularly its specialty dish, the kapon.
- Thirsty? Follow the signs, or your map to Buža Bar, a literal hole in the wall that makes a great place from which to watch sunset.
20. Fort Lovrijenac
If you haven’t visited Fort Lovrijenac yet, now’s a great time to do it. You can pay for entry just to Fort Lovrijenac, but entry is also included with a Walls of Dubrovnik ticket.
- Hungry after visiting Fort Lovrijenac? Nautika is located just outside of Dubrovnik Old Town and specializes in delicious seafood dishes, prepared with the freshest catch of the day. From grilled fish to succulent shellfish, you’ll find a variety of options to satisfy your seafood cravings.
I’m sure you’ve enjoyed this Old Town Dubrovnik walking tour. If you haven’t already, be sure to check out my Walls of Dubrovnik walking tour. And if you’re looking for more, here are all of my posts about Dubrovnik and Croatia, including tips for planning your trip and essential Croatia travel experiences.
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